The invention relates generally to non-lethal weaponry, and more particularly to a non-lethal munition system for attachment to and use with a shoulder launcher.
Conflicts between a small group of security personnel and a large group of antagonists or protestors frequently end up in relatively lengthy, tension-filled standoffs. Such conflicts can occur outside political buildings and embassies, at labor strike venues, at sites involving environmental issues, etc., where the protestors are generally unarmed civilians. In these situations, the use of conventional weapons (i.e., lethal weapons) is not practical, necessary or desirable as the firing of conventional lethal weapons at the small number of dangerous individuals puts many surrounding bystanders in danger of serious injury or death. Furthermore, since escalation of the conflict is generally advocated by only a few members of the protesting crowd, use of any non-lethal weapons should be specifically targeted.
Currently employed tactics for addressing these situations include dispersal of the crowd with high-pressure water sprays or non-lethal gas, or going into the crowd and trying to remove the few individuals attempting to escalate the conflict. However, dispersal of the crowd creates the threat of trampling those in the crowd or bystanders, while trying to remove certain individuals from the crowd places security personnel at risk.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a non-lethal munition.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a non-lethal munition that can accurately target a specific individual.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a non-lethal munition that offers a simple and inexpensive solution to the problem of delivering an incapacitating impact to specifically targeted individuals.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more obvious hereinafter in the specification and drawings.
In accordance with the present invention, a self-contained non-lethal munition system is provided for use with a shoulder launcher having a launch tube. The system includes a barrel coupled to a breech end of the launch tube and coaxially aligned therewith. A solid sphere of a compressible material (e.g., a standard lacrosse ball) having a hardness of approximately 50 durometer is positioned in the barrel and forms a pressure seal therewith. Pressurization means provide on-demand generation of a launch pressure aft of the solid sphere. The launch pressure must overcome the pressure seal that the solid sphere makes with the barrel and propel the solid sphere through the barrel and the launch tube with a kinetic energy of between approximately 135-220Joules/cm2 for distances up to approximately 30 meters.